Case Number 22911: Small Claims Court

Top Secret America

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All Rise...

Judge David Johnson is top secret. No, wait, he's Pop Secret!

The Charge

The hidden legacy of 9/11.

The Case

PBS's well-regarded Frontline news-gathering division turns its sights
to the not-sensitive-at-all subject of covert operations following the attacks
on 9/11. The 55-minute program features Frontline producer Michael Kirk
and Washington Post journalist Dana Priest examining the bureaucratic fallout
after the terrorist attacks. Even more, the feature delves into the shift in
thinking on intelligence gathering in America's halls of spying and how that
translated into the full court press of taking the fight to the jihadist
douchebags.

To be honest, Top Secret America doesn't adopt my red meat verbiage,
opting (wisely, probably) for a more clinical, if not critical, look at how
things went down in the White House, at Langley, and on the battlefield. To
paint the picture, there are plenty of interviews with the specialists and
officials who were present at decision time (e.g., Richard Clarke) and the
journalists who covered these clandestine machinations back in the day.
Newsworthy elements like the attempted car bomb in NYC are woven through, as
well as a black-and-white photos of Donald Rumsfeld with dramatic music playing
in the background to heighten the tension or something.

Top Secret America a well-produced, informative documentary that
tends towards the finger-pointing. Some of the criticism I am completely down
with: the way government bloated with more and more agencies does very little to
soothe my federalist nerves. But sinister musical compositions aside, we haven't
been hit since 2001…so that's got to be worth something, right?

The DVD: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, 2.0 stereo, no extras.

The Verdict

A high end production filled with interesting info, Top Secret America
is worth a look for anyone with interest in the subject matter. Not Guilty.